MRI Drama Club & Millikin University students have been working hard to learn the ins and outs of show biz. Come check out their hard work as they present William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

WHO: The Superior Thespians of MRIWHAT: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William ShakespeareWHEN: Friday, May 4 @ 1:00 pmWHERE: MRI Gymnasium, 2121 Hubbard Ave., Decatur, IL 62526WHY: Come support the hard work of the Millikin students and MRI drama club in this amazing opening/closing night one-time spectacular show!COST:FREE!

A note from our thespians:
‘The MRI Drama Club and theatre students from Millikin University, will present “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” on May 4, 2018 at 1:00 pm. The students enrolled in a ‘Shakespeare Corrected” course elected to produce a dramatic presentation with our individuals served. Entertaining practices guarantee an interesting and comical production. Don’t miss this fantastic show!!”

Join MRI, WAND TV and Cromwell Radio in overcoming obstacles in Central Park on Friday, April 27.

How can you help Overcome Obstacles? Click on one of the titles below to begin.
1. COLLECT PLEDGES TO COMPETE: Collect at least $25 in pledges to compete in our downtown obstacle course. Raise $50 for a free T shirt and raise $100 or more for a leg up in the race. Start your own fundraising page and collect donations for MRI.

MRI helps over 800 children and adults with disabilities in our community overcome obstacles each day. We invite you to join us in celebrating their achievements and testing yourself in overcoming similar obstacles.

Krispy Kreme doughnuts ($7 per box) and boxed lunches ($7 per box) can be picked up at the event in Central Park or delivered (orders of 10 or more). To pre-order : CALL 217.875.8850 | EMAIL msnively@maconresources.org

With the support of MRI’s intermittent CILA, Larry is able to live by himself in his apartment and maintain his independence.

Larry has lived in his own apartment for four years with the support of MRI’s intermittent CILA. Before living on his own, Larry lived in a strict group home where many decisions were made for him. Things like when to eat meals and when to go to bed were determined by the group home. Larry knew he was capable of making decisions and wanted to live his life the way he wanted to live it, so he reach out to MRI’s intermittent CILA program. MRI’s intermittent CILA allows Larry to be independent and live independently while still providing needed life and safety supports. He is now able to plan his days around what he wants to do. Larry enjoys exercising, cooking his own meals and going to church. Larry is very active in his community and has made many friends during his daily walks around Kroger for exercise, trips to Taco Bell and weekly church visits.

Twenty two years ago Larry made the decision to become a vegetarian. He did so as a way to become healthier and has diligently stuck with it.When Larry began to have health issues because he was not getting enough iron, MRI staff supported him in meeting with a doctor so he could learn how to add more iron into his diet, which he is now able to do. Larry uses his vegetarian cook book to plan meals for himself. During the fall and winter, his favorite meals to make are soups and vegetarian chili because they are easy to reheat he can eat it all week long. It is safe and easy for Larry to cook in his own apartment. If anything were to go wrong, Larry has MRI CILA staff just a phone call away.

Larry is not only strict with his vegetarian diet, but also with his work out routine. He takes daily walks and works out three times a week. This type of organization and precision can be seen in other aspects of Larry’s life as well. He keeps a calendar on his wall and at the end of every day he writes down exactly what he did that day. Because Larry is so structured himself, adding another layer of daily structure does not work. He does best when he has the freedom to organize his day based on what he determines to be priorities in his life, which is what MRI is able to provide.

Now that Larry has an apartment to call his own, he has new goals. He already saved money and bought a new couch. Now he is saving money to go on a trip with his friends this fall. Larry decided to put part of his monthly spending money in the bank and cut back on his trips to Taco Bell in order to save for the trip. With the help of MRI, he is in charge of his own finances, which means he has taken on the responsibility of setting money aside for food and bills.

Larry creates his own schedule and spends a lot of time in the community and with his church family. The staff at Kroger, Taco Bell and his local Subway enjoy seeing Larry about town. Many people know Larry because of his regular visits. In fact, they tend to worry if he does not show up for a few days. Larry has been able to thrive since moving into his own apartment with the support of MRI. He has discovered new things he enjoys doing, new places he had never been and he has made new friends in the community.

Amara, an MRI Day Vocational Training and VISIONS participant, lives in MRI’s apartment-style group home.

Before moving into MRI’s apartment-style group home near downtown Decatur, Amara had experienced multiple types of living situations. As she was growing up, Amara had a great support system that allowed her to live at home and transitioned to living independently when she reached adulthood. However, after many life complications, she moved into a large group home with 15 other individuals.

Amara didn’t cope well living with that many people. She struggles socially and began to lose some of her acquired social and daily living skills. Amara knew she needed a change. She was aware of MRI’s apartment-style group home and knew she had the skills and desire to live independently. Amara advocated for herself and requested she be put on the waitlist for a spot in the apart-style setting.

MRI owns and operates nine group homes in the Decatur area; four to eight people live in each home with full-time daily support staff. These homes are called Community Integrated Living Arrangements (CILA). People with intellectual disabilities build independent living skills like room care, personal care, social skills and community integration with the help of our CILA staff. Each person’s unique needs are met through family-style dining, personalized rooms and individualized services. By living in an MRI CILA home, individuals not only gain skills, but staff ensure that residents know how to use medical support.

Since moving into her own apartment in MRI’s apartment-style group home, Amara has been budgeting her money, decorating, cleaning her apartment and cooking daily meals. Through Amara’s self-advocacy she can now live on her own and also benefit from the safety and support of 24 hour support staff. Amara commutes on the public bus system and goes shopping whenever she wants. Her next goal is to get a job in the community.

Not only did Amara advocate for herself by asking to move into a more fitting living environment, but she also requested a spot in MRI’s VISIONS Mental Health Program. Amara was already in MRI’s Day Vocational Training program, but felt she would do well in a program that focused on mental health.

For more information on MRI’s Residential Services, click here. For more in the VISIONS mental health program, click here.